Back Woods of Paxton

On Saturday, I took Remy on a walk for the first time since my knee surgery. Remy and I were joined by my good friend Claudio as we walked the "back woods of Paxton" (otherwise known as Moore State Park). I've tried to be a good patient and wait for my doctor to give me the "all clear" to walk longer distances (and he did last Tuesday). So far so good, as I've only felt a little bit of swelling behind knee.

Claudio has been living in Boston during the week and I make many trips there for work. Boston is a great city and most of the time, I'm glad for the opportunity to work there. Many of our clients and potential clients work in the towers in the Back Bay area and in the Financial District, all with spectacular views of the city. And as you can see in my last few entries, I've even had the chance to enjoy some great sporting events while in the city.

Now that Claudio works at the Boston Sports Club, we've car pooled back to central Mass whenever schedules allow. This was one of those weekends and the decision was made to take advantage of my new "clearance" to walk. I miss taking Remy for walks. It always give me a chance to clear my head.... or in this case, have a conversation with Claudio on our favorite topics of physics, philosophy and life.

Remy also has a chance to work on his "Scouting" skills. He loves to run ahead, pointing out possible routes and paths to take. Sometimes he gets way ahead and I yell out, "HEY REMY". He looks up, realizes he's too far in front, and comes back to me. That’s my favorite part... not just because he comes back, but because he sprints back at top speed. And on Saturday, he sprinted back silhouetted by a "roll" of hay and rays of sunshine falling onto a field in Paxton.



The moment pointed out a truth that I've learned from Claudio that ties together aspects of physics, philosophy and life: Take time to walk through the "back woods of Paxton".

January 10th, 1921 (87 Years Ago)

Until the other day, I hadn’t written anything that “shook the feathers” too much, however, my last post on Christian Music did. It was hard to write, but easy to respond to… but why? Maybe it’s the art of asking a good question or maybe it’s discussing a topic that deals with an existing question that hits close to home. All I know is that I got more response to that post than any other one so far… including someone that doesn’t even know me. Blogging, or preaching for that matter, grants the opportunity to challenge the easy / convenient human mentalities. Jesus did it better than anybody when he said things like, “Love your neighbor as yourself… that’s easy, but how about loving your enemies… if you can pull that off consistently you’ll have a better understanding of God.” (JD’s translation of Matthew 5:43-48)

To my enemies… I’ll try to be more approachable… lets talk and work through some of these issues.

To my friend and new ministry partner Marty… Keep challenging the status quo with your blog and your messages!

To my friend and the most creative thinker I know Claudio… Keep pushing your book until you get it the way you want… people will buy it! … (and will read your blog)

To the love of my life, my wife Erin… you are ‘scary good’ at being Mitchell’s mother and it makes me more proud than you’ll ever know. I also can’t wait to see the next thing you have to say in your blog.

To my Grandfather Cosmo who turns 87 today… Thank you for challenging me to pick up my room, to communicate with the people who care about me, to be responsible for myself, to be pro-active rather than re-active, and to never… under any circumstances… put my own wants above the needs of my family. And even though you don’t have a blog… or could give a flying rip about what the hell a blog is… Happy Birthday Grandpa.

Reunion

I am truly excited about the FACA Reunion... but its not because I can't wait to see all of my old friends. (To my old friends: I can't wait to see you... keep reading and I'll clarify my point.)

First Assembly Christian Academy closed in June of 2007... a mere 20 years after it began. It's a small amount of time for a school to exist. When I think of a school, I often think about the stories of a teacher who taught over generations of family (e.i. father and son). I think of a gym filled with sports accomplishments reaching back into past decades. I think of the old mixed in with the new, the wise influencing the unwise and the coach and mentoring the inexperienced.

What doesn't matter as much are the rules, dress codes, and tests. These are tools but not the end goal. FACA utilized many of these tools - some might say there were too many rules... or that dress codes were hideous, like the ties I had to wear in elementary school. But, when these tools were used within the context of relational mentoring, they were effective.

Giving a test to a student is a great tool for evaluating educational progress. Just don't expect too much if all you've done is thrown a book on a desk and said "Good luck kid!" Now luckily, the only time I had a book thrown down on my desk while at FACA was when Mr. B caught me sleeping in 8th grade. Most of the time, teachers made extreme efforts to work through the materials and help me understand them before a test. I think of Marty Lee who spent his lunch with me 2 or 3 times a week so I could keep a C average in Pre-Calculus. It turned out to be one of the best C grades I ever earned. The tools were effective, but only in the context of relational mentoring.

When rules are used to conform students to a "mold" (the proper student)... they often fail. In this case, the rules are supported by some detached ideals (Biblical or not) rather than the weight of a mentoring relationship. This may sound harsh, but I believe that this is how FACA lost so many good families over the years. Rules over relationships. A school doesn't exists to accomplish the feat of getting its students to follow rules and pass their tests. A school exists to be a community that provides an opportunity for the transfer of life's most important lessons. And even though there was plenty of room for improvement, FACA was that community to many of us.

That's why I'm excited for next Friday night (Dec. 28th). We have a chance to celebrate the community of people who sacrificed so much time and money to the goals of mentoring us... the FACA students. Our teachers will be honored during the program portion of the evening which begins at 8pm in the "CLC". The reunion officially begins at 7pm with appetizers and a timeline of FACA history in the "Fellowship Hall".

So to my friends... I can't wait to see you on Friday, December 28th!

And to my teachers, thank you for:
taking a terrible paying job
listening to all of our complaining
working through lunch
picking us up when we fell
encouraging us to do better
coaching us into new skills

Thank You!

Bias

This is a new blog that will feature articles and information that I (Jason) found interesting. I'll also use this as an opportunity to communicate personal thoughts, opinions and events in my (including Erin and our son Mitchell) life. Most topics fit inside the theme of what I find interesting, but I have a feeling it will focus on some areas a little more than others. My own bias for topics are likely to be: my family, sports, technology, music, philosophy, and God.

Speaking of bias... take 5 minutes to read the following article:

... wait.... before you do... first think about all of those pictures used in psychology... like the one where you think you see the old woman until the smart people in the room all say in a condescending manor..."actually is a young woman with a pretty hat"

... OK... now read the article:

7 Stupid Thinking Errors You Probably Make


I know that I'm in the top 30% of drivers... I don't care how many other people think the same thing.

Mistakes in thinking and decision making based upon the perceptions in our head (our personal bias) is the reason for so much of the worlds biggest problems. Just imagine all of the conflicts that could be resolved if we were more conscience of the errors in bias that we are all likely to make. I could be just about to argue with someone... until I was reminded that I'm really pissed off right now because this other person most recently acted in a way that offended me... but that most of the time, they have been a decent and caring person (see #4). With that in mind, I can take a larger sample of this offending persons interactions with me and decide to speak calmly in my attempt to discuss the offending situation. ahh... see how much better that feels.... very peaceful.

Just thought you might find that interesting too...